Chapter 21: On the Road Again

The Manticore's ear-splitting roar echoed through the destroyed village, scaring off whatever local wildlife had remained in the area. It was one of the larger Grimm types that lived in northern Mistral. It had the head of a lion, a venomous snake for a tail, and a pair of wings on its back. Its face was covered in thick bone plating, the mane being made out of similar bonelike material. The entirety of its back and part of its tail was also covered in thick bones, making it hard to land a solid hit. Thankfully, its underside and the sides of its body were exposed, giving those brave enough to fight them a chance to take them down.

"Get the tail's attention! Levi, do you think you can stun it?" Jaune called out, glancing over his shoulder at the miqo'te faunus, who was busy loading rounds into Overture.

"I got you covered, you and Ren focus on cutting that thing off," he replied, launching himself forward. He let out a cry as he fired some lightning rounds at the manticore, causing it to roar loudly. It opened its mouth, firing a glob of flames directly at him.

Yang shot herself into its path, taking the hit entirely. The flames swirled around her body, her eyes flashing red as she threw several fire-enhanced punches at its face. It screeched as its bone plate cracked. She jumped out of the way, letting Levi get in. He cried out, thrusting his estoc forward, driving the tip right into the crack, releasing a crackling shock of electricity through its body.

"Excellent work, Levi!" Yang congratulated, only for the manticore to slam its bone-encrusted paws onto the ground, roaring loudly. "Oh shit!"

The two flipped out of the way, a wall of white glyphs flashing before them. With a flick of her wrist, Weiss sent a blast of ice forward, keeping the Manticore in place. As she did, Jaune and Ren darted forward, aiming their attacks on the tail. Ren shot at its head, keeping its focus on him while Jaune took a daring swing, slicing the tail clean off.

"Ha! Take that you oversized lion!"

The manticore let out a pained screech, the shockwave shaking the area. It dug its claws into the ground, its back bubbling for a second as a pair of black wings grew out. With a single flap, it was airborne. Levi ejected the spent round in his rifle, taking aim at its wings, unloading what remained in the tube.

"We have to ground it, take the wings off!"

"I'm on it!" Alto cried, dashing forward. She used a nearby rock as a springboard, climbing onto the bough of a tree. She pulled her arm back, flinging her shield at the manticore. Her eyes flashed as she activated her semblance, her shield glowing a bright violet as she accelerated it. It struck the Manticore in the side of the head, bouncing clean off. She jumped into the air, catching her shield in her hand, spinning herself around. She barreled it down onto the creature's back.

She spun Milo around her arm, shifting it into its spear form, thrusting it into the creature's back. She pulled it out, spinning it around her neck, simultaneously firing a round at the base of its wing, snapping one of its bones. She flipped off the creature as it went into a tailspin, slamming into one of the trees.

"Nice work Alto! Let's finish this thing, guys!" Ruby cried, spinning Crescent Rose around. Levi and Weiss nodded to each other, forming a violet and black glyph respectively, keeping the manticore in place. Ruby shot herself forward, pulling the trigger again, sending herself into a terrifying spin. She let out a cry as she sliced the manticore clean in half. At the same time, Nora leaped off a tree, bringing Magnhild down hard on its head, finishing it off.

"Good hustle, kids. You are all getting better, won't be long until all of you have your licenses." Qrow said, resting his weapon, Harbinger, against his shoulder.

"We've all been working super hard. All we can do is keep training and make sure all of us improve our weaknesses. It's the only way to get stronger, after all."

"Honestly the most improvement I've seen is with Oscar. He barely knew how to fight six weeks ago, but now he can hold his own in any battle. It's impressive." Ren said, earning a blush from the former farmhand.

"I appreciate the kind words, Ren. But you have to remember, having Ozpin inside me allows me to tap into his memories of fighting. It's all muscle memory. All I am doing is making sure my body is ready for whatever may be thrown our way."

"Even if it is muscle memory, you are doing better than I did during my first week of training. I distinctly remember finding myself on the floor every time Pyrrha swung at me." Jaune said, sheathing his sword.

"All that means is that he'll be ready for real combat soon enough. Then again, he fought Hazel for a while, I'm sure that's real combat." Ruby said, giving Oscar a smile.

"Let's keep going, we're almost to Akidori, just another day of travel and we'll be there," Blake advised, loading Gambol Shroud with a fresh magazine. "Hopefully that was the last of the Grimm too. We can't afford to keep fighting them constantly."

Qrow glanced around for a moment, noticing the clouds above them were beginning to break. A few snowflakes started falling down, making him frown. "You have a point there Kitty-Cat. We may not be low on ammunition, but the constant hits to our aura will leave us weak. The last thing we need is to run into a horde of them."

"Was there a forecast of snow?" Alto asked as she glanced at her scroll. The weather app wasn't loading, making her frown. "I don't remember seeing anything on the weather channel."

"I don't think so, but it doesn't matter. Let's just keep moving." Yang advised, taking the lead of the group. The others followed closely behind, hands on their weapons in case they needed to be drawn.

"So um… anyone got any travel stories?" Alto asked, hoping to drown the silence out. She held Milo tightly in her grasp, ready to fight if need be. "Maybe some stories from Beacon?"

"Nothing interesting comes to mind, except maybe Team RWBY's killer food fight. It was the Levi vs Aria of the following year." Levi said, chuckling. "Seriously, I was chatting with Sonata about something and all I remember seeing is Weiss getting a pie to the face, and then boom. Full fucking fight, with Nora poling a watermelon and launching Yang into the stratosphere, Pyrrha sending a barrage of aluminum cans at the others, oh and how can we forget the epicness that was Weiss fighting with a goddamn swordfish?"

"Yes, it was overshadowed by the epicness of her getting her shit rocked and sent flying across the cafeteria," Nora said, grinning. Weiss crossed her arms in annoyance. "It was totally worth the week of detention."

"Not as much as Blake shit whipping you into a vending machine with a bunch of sausage links," Levi said, chuckling.

"Wait a minute, you said you had a food fight?" the wolf faunus asked, earning nods from the entire group. "But you didn't throw food, you fought with it?"

"Yep! Jaune threw that watermelon that one time and almost got me before I gave him the two for one turkey special." Yang said, wrapping an arm around the knight.

"I was still learning how to fight. I didn't do much but it was honest work," he said, a proud look on his face.

"Let us not forget the epicness that was Qrow vs Winter. Here comes the specialist of the Atlas Army, one of the strongest women in Remnant, and good old Qrow pisses her off, gets her to attack first, and then cock teases all of us by briefly transforming his weapon only to sheathe it at the last second." Levi said, glancing back at the man, who had a smile on his face. "Seriously man, so many people were upset they didn't get to see your badass scythe."

"Hey, I wanted her to stand a chance against me."

"I still think my sister can wipe the floor with you." Weiss boasted, holding her nose up high.

"Whatever you say, Ice Queen."

"Beacon Academy sounded like a lot of fun, I wish I had been able to enroll there," Alto said. The group remained silent as memories of their old lives in Beacon filled their mines. They continued walking forward, keeping their eyes peeled for any sort of movement.

"It wasn't always what it was cracked up to be. Beacon was fun, it was a place where I felt safe, free from my past. Free from the White Fang, and Adam. But there were moments where I also felt like it was a prison. Just another cage of oppression that wouldn't be opened for another few years." Blake said, ears flat against her scalp as she spoke. "Even though I had friends and felt like I was part of something, I felt alone."

"I know that feeling all too well, Blake," Levi added, slipping his hands into his pockets as he walked, glancing up at the sky. The snow was beginning to fall faster, the little flakes slowly drifting to the ground. "Whenever Aria was throwing one of her fits, I'd have to wait outside my dorm room. Sona tried to calm her down and that never worked. Cadence was off practicing ballet, so me and the hallway became best friends."

"You could have hung out with us, you know."

"Yeah, I know, Yang. But that's the thing about me, I only had one or two friends at Signal. They sort of ignored me when they got to Beacon. I don't think I ever really had friends, aside from you. I always felt like if I tried to talk to you, you'd blow me off. So I stuck around my team, and when Aria didn't want me around, I fell back to my old habits. Study the shit out of those math books."

"Sounds depressing. But I know the feeling, being bullied by Cardin really put things into perspective for me as well. Thankfully, Pyrrha made me realize that I could get stronger if I tried, and I did. I'm still learning. The path to becoming a huntsman is a long one, but we'll get there." Jaune said happily.

"Ain't that the truth, Atlas wasn't built in a day after all. We have to get down to the nitty-gritty and give it our all. If not, Remnant is going to kick our asses good and hard and that is the last thing any of us needs."

"Oh come on, let's think positive! Cinder is gone, we have the Relic, all we gotta do is make it to Atlas and we'll be golden!" Ruby said cheerfully.

"Yeah, and Levi will finally get to meet Mr. Schnee's mustache."

"Oh goddamn it Yang," the young man said, earning laughs from everyone, including Weiss.

"Hey, I was thinking about a road story! Me and Ren were traveling around Mistral one day when these huge Grimm started chasing us!" Nora began. She continued recounting the tale, with Ren popping in every second to correct the girl's embellished points. Levi rolled his eyes as he walked, keeping an eye on both his surroundings and his excited friend.

Though in the back of his mind, he was thinking back on everything that had happened. He couldn't help but wonder what his life would have been like if Beacon Academy hadn't fallen. But there was no use in dwelling in the past, he only had the future to look forward to. He briefly glanced at the lamp attached to Oscar's belt, the young man lost in conversation with Alto about one thing or another. He thought back to what happened in the vault, remembering what Raven had told them after she had opened the doors.

"It was the only way to protect you, Yang. There are things he's hiding from you. Question everything, if you can get your hands on that lamp and use it, do so. Do not trust everything he tells you."

Levi took a deep breath through his nose, gazing up at the sky as the snow began falling down faster. He pondered those words, briefly glancing back at Oscar. "What are you hiding, Professor? Raven wouldn't have said that if you weren't hiding something. There's no way you'll answer if I ask. That means I'll have to get my hands on that lamp. But without knowing how to activate it, I'll likely get nowhere. How swell."

Shaking his head, he decided to focus on the road. There were only a few more miles to go before they hit the next village. He would focus on that and then concentrate on making it to Akidori. It was the only thing he could do at the moment.


Location: Malachite Tavern, Mistral

The meeting time had arrived, and Neo couldn't be more excited. She had been hanging around Mistral for a while, waiting for Cinder to finally return. A week had passed, and she knew Levi and the others were long gone. But she had planned on taking the train to Akidori and transfer onto the Argus Limited. The date Levi had mentioned hadn't come to pass, giving her a solid three days to plan ahead. The rain had let up, for the time being, giving the citizens a brief respite, but this didn't bother Neo too much. She quite liked the rain.

She stepped into Lil' Miss Malachite's tavern, the members of her organization all giving her firm looks. She looked around briefly, making her way toward the back of the tavern, where the owner was sitting, enjoying some curds and whey. How someone could eat that was beyond her, but she seemed to be eating it with gusto, so who was she to question the likes of others. She spun her parasol around, stabbing the ferrule into the ground, leaning on it as if it were a cane. The two guards beside her reached for their revolvers, only for the blonde woman to raise her hand. She gave Neo a smile, digging her spoon into her snack.

"Welcome back sugar. You here to collect your information?"

Neo gave her a nod.

"Excellent, just so you know. That woman you are searching for asked for a certain bit of information. A group of travelers who are currently heading to Argus. Something tells me those people are familiar with you, and vise versa. But what I'd like to know is why you'd go after a woman like Cinder? Someone who happens to be the Fall Maiden."

The disguised young woman looked rather surprised. She pulled her scroll out, about to type a message when Miss Malachite spoke. "You wish to know how I know about that? Ah, well dear, nothing escapes my network. It just so happens that I have known about the Maidens and the Relics for quite a long time. But I am not interested in any of that information. Though if someone pays top lien for it, I might let it go."

Neo held out her scroll, showing the woman the message she had composed. "Did you give Cinder a time? I'm on a tight schedule, you see. I don't want to miss my friends."

"She should be here any moment, darling. Why don't you make yourself comfortable somewhere? I'm quite certain that nifty semblance of yours will come in handy for what's to come." the woman said. Neo sighed, her body glowing a brilliant pink as she dropped her disguise. Though she had returned to her normal appearance, she had decided to use her old outfit, in an attempt to jog Cinder's memory if she had forgotten her. She adjusted the scarf around her neck, making sure her bowler hat was firmly in place atop her head. "You are quite a beautiful young woman, I have no idea why it is you insist on hiding who you truly are."

Neo didn't reply, glancing around for a moment. With a jump, she climbed onto the second floor, balancing herself on the wooden railing. She jumped down, stepping back into the shadows of the tavern, in a place where she could watch the door. All she had to do now, was wait.

It wasn't an agonizing wait. In fact, it took only fifteen minutes for Cinder to walk into the tavern. Neo's grip on her parasol, she felt her heartbeat quicken. Everything that had happened between the fall of Beacon and now flashed into her mind. The fact that Roman was dead because of her, Levi, and her own journey, and knowing that Levi thought she was dead when she wasn't, angered her. She could feel her body heating up. Her hand wrapped around her whiskey, taking a swig from her glass. The alcohol calmed her down a bit, bringing her back to reality.

"Fucking bitch, she has more lives than a goddamned cat. I can't wait to mop the floor with her." she mentally hissed, eyes narrowed as she glared down at the hooded woman.

"Do you have my information?" Cinder asked, earning a nod from Miss Malachite, who fanned herself with her decorative fan.

"Of course," she said, opening her scroll. She looked through it for a moment, pretending to search for the information that had been requested. "Ah, here it is. Those travelers you were looking for were spotted on the road out of Mistral. Rumor has it they're making their way to Akidori to board the Argus Limited. Now, Argus isn't a town that people go out of their way to visit. So there's only one reason they would go there, and that's to get passage to-"

"Atlas." Cinder said, cutting the woman off, as she rose to her feet. "Thank you kindly, I'll be on my way."

"Hm… You know, it isn't every day we find someone who nets us double the profit. Tell me, what exactly are you looking for with those travelers, Cinder?"

The woman jolted, glancing back at Miss Malachite, who had a knowing smile on her face. "Are you perhaps looking for revenge against them, for your botched attempt in Haven Academy? That would explain the two young men you are looking for. Jaune Arc, who did significant damage to you, and Levi Athan, who shot you in the stomach as you fell to your supposed death. But that makes me wonder, what do you want with Ruby Rose? Perhaps she's responsible for that disfigured face?"

Cinder growled angrily, a flaming ball of fire forming in the palm of her hand. "Now now, darlin' I ain't looking for a fight. Of course, that doesn't mean someone else here isn't."

The hooded woman looked up, her eyes widening in surprise, the flames in her palm fading away. Neo balanced herself on the railing, her eyes filled with malice and hatred toward this woman. She had been waiting for so long, and now the woman who had ruined her life was here. She grit her teeth, launching herself at Cinder, striking her in the head with her parasol. She let herself shatter, taking Cinder by surprise.

"What the hell are you doing, Neo?" she cried, only to see the edge of her parasol in the corner of her eye. She ducked just in time to avoid it, but Neo didn't relent, swinging her parasol with great force at her body.

Cinder swung her fists at the woman, aiming several slashes at Neo, all of which she easily dodged and deflected. She spun around, using Hush's canopy to get some distance. She bumped into the table behind her, the bottles on top of it rattling. She grabbed one, throwing it at Cinder who shattered it with a single punch.

"You are wasting your time, you idiot. Can't you see we're on the same side?" Cinder asked.

"The same side? The SAME SIDE? You're the reason Roman is dead!" she screamed in her mind, as she thrust Hush forward. Cinder blocked it with an upward swing of her arm, hoping to disarm the ice cream-themed girl. She let out a scream as she threw a punch at Neo's jaw, only for her body to shatter into a million pieces.

Cinder looked around for a moment, only for something to strike her in the back. She turned around, ducking and dodging all of Neo's attacks. She swiped her leg at her face hoping to get a good strike, but Neo was quicker, sweeping her off her feet. Just as fast, she hooked one of the nearby chairs with Hush, bringing it overhead in an attempt to smash it. The Fall Maiden reacted quickly, kicking the shorter woman into the bar, jumping back onto her feet.

She dashed forward, throwing several punches at Neo, all of which she was able to deflect. She spun Hush around, using its canopy to once again get some distance. She drew her blade, holding it tightly in her hand, throwing slashes and jabs at Cinder, using the parasol as a shield of sorts.

"I know exactly why you are here. You blame me for Roman's death, right? You are just like that fool, who blamed me for the death of his teammates and his mother. The only difference is, I actually was responsible." Cinder said duckling as Hush's blade scraped her cheek. "Roman knew the risks, girl. He knew what was at stake and he took the deal, he has no one to blame but himself."

Neo thrust Hush forward, delivering a solid strike on Cinder's shoulder. She spun on her heel, sheathing her sword, slamming her parasol into her chest. Cinder growled, throwing a fireball at Neo who easily blocked it. The smoke swirling around her canopy. She jumped onto the bar, giving Cinder a taunting smirk. She took the bait, leaping onto the bar alongside her.

"Excellent, now to execute phase one." Neo thought to herself, as she dashed forward, rapidly thrusting her parasol into Cinder's chest, remembering the skills she had taught to Levi. She backflipped out of Cinder's punch, simultaneously hooking onto one of the ashtrays. She spun Hush around, sending the tray into Cinder's face, smiling when it shattered against her face.

The young woman drove Hush's hook into Cinder's chin, sweeping her parasol around, hooking it into her shirt. She dragged her down into the bar, spinning her weapon around, aiming a downward stab at her neck. Cinder used her arms to sweep Neo off her feet, sending her into the bar. She rapidly got up, her hands wrapping around two bottles of whiskey, which she threw at Cinder, who easily dodged the attack. Neo vaulted over the bar, driving her foot into Cinder's face, the woman was faster, catching her foot in her grasp.

She swung her over her shoulder, sending Neo flying. She flicked Hush open, slowly drifting to the ground. Cinder growled angrily, blasting forward, fist flaming as she threw a punch at Neo, her body shattering once more.

"These tricks are starting to annoy me, girl. Fight me like you mean it!"

Neo felt herself smile as she threw one of the bar stools at Cinder, the wooden chair breaking apart on her back. She cried in pain as Neo rapidly struck her weakened form, taking her by surprise. She hooked Hush around her leg, pulling her off her feet, she pulled her back, kneeing her in the back, sending her flying into the ground. Neo stomped on her neck, drawing Hush's hidden blade, her eyes glowing as she prepared to finish her off.

"Oi, sweetheart? It'll cost ya extra if you wanna murder her here. If not you'll have to take it outside." Miss Malachite said. Neo flared her nostrils, digging her hand into her shirt, throwing a bag of lien at the woman. "Well alright then. We'll get the buckets ready,"

Cinder shouted in anger, grabbing Neo's foot with her flaming hand, pulling her forward. She managed to stand up, driving her fist into the woman's chest, sending her flying straight through the back wall. The Fall Maiden blasted herself forward, coming to a stop in the middle of the alley. She could see the remains of Neo's broken copy, a thin layer of steam acting as a smokescreen.

"You've gotten stronger, but so have I."

She ducked down as Neo attempted to take her head off. She held Hush's canopy behind her back, swinging her blade to and fro. Cinder jumped back, creating a pair of short swords with her semblance, sending herself into a terrifying spin, clashing repeatedly with the ice-cream-themed girl. Cinder let out a shout as she sent a fireball at Neo, who sheathed Hush's blade, opening her parasol just in time. She wrapped her finger around the small trigger, firing a water bullet at Cinder's fireball, a shower of steam exploding outward.

Neo darted forward, using the steam to her advantage, racing across the building walls. She aimed a downward strike at Cinder who blocked it with her swords, throwing several counterattacks. Neo was faster, swinging her leg at the woman's ribcage. She followed with a front kick to her sternum, sending her back into the building behind her. Neo darted forward, planting her foot on Cinder's leg, driving her knee into her lower jaw. She hooked Hush around her neck, pulling her over her shoulder into the ground. She jumped into the air, driving her ferrule downward, only for Cinder to sweep her flaming legs around, making Neo back away.

Cinder decided she had had enough, tapping into her maiden powers. Her eye burst into flame, a bright orange aura swirling around it. Wind currents whipped around the woman, making Neo back away as she rose into the air, like a literal god floating above the world. She narrowed her eyes, squeezing Hush tightly in her grasp.

"I have no time for your misplaced blame, girl. You and I both know that Ruby is responsible for his death. So let's stop fighting each other and come up with a plan to fight back." she spat angrily.

"Heh, as if working together to kill someone who's innocent is a good idea. You are at the end of your rope, you piece of shit. Goddamn cheater." she thought to herself. She regretfully gave Cinder a nod, causing her to drop down to the floor.

"Good, then let's talk things out."

Neo took a deep breath through her nose, slowly exhaling as she pointed to her throat. Cinder rolled her eyes. "Oh, right. I'll do the talking, all you have to do is listen. Follow me, there is something I need to show you."

The ice cream-themed woman said nothing, resting Hush on her shoulder. Cinder must be low on aura by now. Perhaps she could get her chance to do her in. Or, she could do something else. She felt herself smiling. "Oh, Levi, you are going to love this."

xxx

"She brought me to the vault?" Neo thought as she stood in front of the door. Haven's Vault had changed slightly in the days she hadn't been back. There were rocks all over the place, the large lanterns that once lit the place up were destroyed, and of course, the vault doors were gone, being replaced by nothing but a stone wall.

"Now you understand my anger." Cinder suddenly said as she spun a knife around her hand. Neo quirked a brow, resting her parasol on her shoulder as she started looking around. Cinder continued spinning her knife, her face contorted into anger. "The Spring Maiden unlocked this vault and disappeared. Ruby Rose and her friends are taking the relic to Atlas. And among them is a friend of yours. He mentioned you had a grudge against me."

Neo remained silent, but inwardly she was screaming. If she didn't play her cards right then something back was going to happen to her. Cinder continued, her smile returning briefly. "But it was clear he was uninformed, not only that but he toyed with you. Made you believe I was at fault when I truly wasn't. He betrayed you."

"Yeah, my fat fucking ass." Neo thought to herself.

"Which is why I propose a truce. You see, my benefactor, Salem, is after these relics. She promised me the power of the maidens. The power that rightfully belongs to me. Regretfully, I have been asked to bring back Ruby, alive. But you have no such orders. You can do as you please." she said, her hand glowing orange as her knife melted.

Neo knelt down, grabbing something from the floor. She flipped it around her fingers, turning to face Cinder who had a look of interest on her face. "So, while I may not kill her, you will be able to. Our plan is simple. We must make our way to Atlas and stop them from taking the Relic to Ironwood. On the off chance that we cannot, we will continue to stake the city out and find the Winter Maiden."

The ice cream-themed woman tapped her parasol against her shoulder, lips curved into a frown. "Once we locate her, we will take her power and force Atlas's Vault open, and we will take its relic. Then we will use it to capture Ruby, you will kill her and I will take both relics with me to Salem, as well as the Winter Maiden's power. That is doable, yes?"

Neo let out a silent chuckle, pretending to flick a tear away from her eye, before suddenly getting serious. She whipped her scroll out, hastily typing out a reply. "Do you think I'm an idiot? Killing Ruby Rose isn't enough for me. It's my ass I am putting on the line, isn't it? You get two relics and the Winter Maiden's power and all I get is the sweet satisfaction of murdering Ruby? That isn't enough!"

"I have nothing else to offer."

"But I do," Neo said, a grin appearing on her face as she typed. She hit 'Speak' on her scroll, holding the device out. "Levi is my ticket in. He trusts me, all I have to do is make them trust me. Hell, that one is easy. Levi grew so attached to me, he thinks I'm his best friend. Once I get their trust, I get myself to Atlas and I get all the information you need. Insider information is hard to come by these days."

Cinder remained silent, tapping her fingers against her lip, her fiery orange eye locked on Neo. "What do you want in exchange for this?"

"The power of the Winter Maiden. You still have Fall, and Spring won't be too hard to locate. I can give you information about all of their camps and you can hunt her down with ease. Summer should be somewhere in Vacuo, correct? That nets you the power of three. Certainly, you wouldn't mind parting with one power." Neo's scroll spoke, causing Cinder to shoot to her feet.

"Out of the question. That power belongs to me!"

"You aren't going to get jack fucking shit if you don't give me what I want. Ruby Rose is the cherry on top. You get two relics and three maiden powers. You're not the one lifting a finger, you're not the one risking her ass. All you ever do is sit on the sidelines and let your men get results. Well then, this time around, I am calling the shots. If you want the Relic of Knowledge and the Relic of Creation, then you will do as I say. Is that understood?"

The fall maiden let out a growl, her eye bursting into flames as she glared at the short woman. She hated to admit it, but she had no other options. She sighed, giving her a nod, holding her hand out. "Fine, you may have Winter. After all, with so much power I will be able to live forever. When you die, the power will come to me, one way or another. You get me inside information, and you may kill Ruby and enjoy those powers."

Neo wrapped her hand around Cinder's, giving it a firm shake. She tapped an icon on her scroll, showing her a message. "Akidori Station? You are set to meet them there?"

She nodded, typing out a message. "Levi invited me to be a huntress, and get our licenses in Atlas. Can you believe it? I think that idiot is in love with me or something. He's so delusional, thinking that I'm his partner. It will certainly make earning their trust easier."

"The hearts of men are easy to sway. All you have to do is use your feminine charms and they'll melt like putty in your hands. They will be heading to Argus. You go ahead and meet up with them. Take this time to earn their trust. I will meet you there myself in two months' time. Then we will continue making our plans to enter Atlas. That blasted Ironwood closed the borders, making it harder to get in."

Neo shrugged her shoulders, giving her a wink. She started walking toward the edge of the vault, peering down at the abyss she had jumped down a few days prior. Before she jumped, she reached into her pocket, pulling out what she had found earlier. She flicked it to Cinder, who caught it in her hand. She looked down at it, noticing what it was, a spent shell casing. She felt her anger rising as she looked up, seeing Neo was gone. The shell casing melted into a puddle of metal in her hand, which she threw on the ground.

"Don't you worry, silly girl. The moment you stop being useful to me, I will drive my blade through your guts. No one threatens me and gets away with it."


Location: Akidori Station, Mistral

"Damn, and I thought Mistral Grand Central was big, this place is fucking huge!" Levi said, glancing around with stars in his eyes.

Akidori Station was the second-largest station in Mistral and connected not just to the kingdom capital, but also to the more rural parts of Mistral. All around them were fast-food restaurants, snack bars, gift shops, and various other stores. There were stairs and walkways leading to a myriad of platforms, all containing trains that traveled all over the Kingdom. People from all walks of life could be seen moving about, either on their way to work or just taking in the sights.

"Stop acting like a tourist, kid. You're embarrassing me," Qrow said, earning a chuckle from the miqo'te. The man finished penning his letter to Ironwood, placing the stamps on the right corner. "Let's hope this makes it to Atlas before we do."

"I wouldn't trust the old mail system. I doubt post is even making it to Atlas at this point. But you are right all we can do is hope he gets it on time. We got quite a lot of shit to tell him. I'll go make sure the others are ready to go."

"Thanks, kid." the former professor said, as he walked off to the nearest mailbox.

The faunus turned back to the waiting area, heading toward the platform for the Argus Limited. He pulled his hood over his head, making sure it was fully covering his ears. It wasn't that he hated displaying his heritage, but he was getting tired of the looks he was getting. At least his tail was easily hidden by the tattered edges of his cloak. It only took him a few minutes of wandering around before finding his friends, all of them sitting on the Argus Limited platform, waiting for the ok to board.

"Hey guys, everyone ready to go?" he asked, as he approached the others.

"Yes sir! We have our clothes, extra supplies, and ammo. We'll be ready for anything the world decides to throw at us!" Nora said excitedly.

"It shouldn't be too much of an exciting trip. The Argus Limited is one of the fastest trains in the world, using a railway that's lined entirely with gravity dust. While some Grimm attacks do occur, the train itself has weaponry. We should be adequately prepared to take care of anything that may happen." Ren added, closing the pamphlet he had been reading.

"I still don't think this is a good idea," Weiss added, finishing her final checks with Myertenaster. She closed her cast up, setting it down by her feet. She had decided to wear a pair of thermal leggings on her legs, along with a red and white scarf. "I'm just.. not looking forward to going back to Atlas."

"Hey, I know I joke around a lot with your dad and his mustache, but I promise you right here and now, that he isn't going to touch you. We haven't gone through all of the shit we have to let him put you back in a jail of his making." Levi said, giving her a grin as he squeezed her shoulder. "You have friends all around you, and no one is going to let him take you away,"

"Damn straight he isn't. I'll punch him in the face!" Yang cried, activating her mechanical arm's hidden barrel. Weiss rolled her eyes, giggling.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't want you to get arrested on my behalf. I no longer have the funds to bail you out," she said with a wink.

"Guys, I ended up finding the gift shop!" Ruby suddenly said, flashing before them in a shroud of petals. Alto jumped a bit from the breeze she had generated, flowing a few petals away. From somewhere, Ruby pulled out 11 bags, a smile on her face. "I got us souvenirs!"

"Sweet, I hope you got me something good! Can I look at it?"

"Sorry sis, you'll have to wait until we board the train. I don't want anyone to lose theirs yet," she said, placing them all in her backpack.

"Say, has anyone seen Blake? She said she had to go to the restroom and hasn't come back. We wouldn't want her to miss the train." Jaune said, causing Yang to look around for a moment.

"She said something about her parents coming to the station to see her off. I think she's with them," she replied, spotting their faunus friend in one of the upper platforms. "There she is, hard to miss those kitty ears."

"Is that Sun? And Neptune?" Weiss asked, holding her hand over her eyes to block out some of the light. Levi sat up a bit, looking in the same direction she was. He focused a bit on the upper platform, spotting the blonde-haired monkey faunus, chatting with Blake. There was another young man, with blue hair, dressed in red and white, speaking to another faunus, Ilia. He could feel Weiss growing angry. "That bastard, he didn't even bother saying goodbye to me!"

"That just means he isn't the right man for you, Weiss. Believe me, you'll know when you've found Mr. Right." Nora replied with a wink.

"Ugh, love is so overrated!" Alto said arms crossed as she looked away from the group. She was glad she had strapped Milo and Akouo to her back, or else she would have sliced her finger with the edge of the shield. "Seriously, we need to focus on what matters, not our stupid hormones."

"Says the wolf-girl who's been flirting with our cute farmhand for the last half a day."

"F-flirting?" Oscar nervously cried, a flush on his cheeks. Alto sported a similar one, her ears curled back in embarrassment.

"I was not flirting! I was just getting to know Oscar better! It's not every day you meet a farmhand that's so young and experienced with heavy equipment!"

"It's too bad he isn't experienced with the equipment that truly matters," Yang said, wiggling her brows, earning a sharp elbow to the ribs from Ruby.

"Stop poisoning our minds, Yang!"

Levi's scroll suddenly rang, causing the faunus to shoot to his feet. He pulled it out of his pocket, expecting to see Neo's picture, but was instead greeted with Sienna's. He sighed, accepting the call. "Hey, Auntie."

"Hey yourself. I was finally released from custody and given conditional freedom. Ghira said you and your friends were heading to Argus so I came to see you off. Are you nearby?"

"We're on the platform. A18."

"Wonderful, I'll be there soon!" she said cheerfully, ending the call. He stared at the contact for a moment, frowning as he stuffed his scroll in his pocket.

"Any word from Neopolitan?" Ren asked, causing him to shake his head.

"No. Nothing… I'm an idiot. I was expecting her to call me when I know for a fact she can't speak. What the fuck was she going to do, sign her message to me?" he asked, glancing at the ceiling. "I should just accept the fact she isn't coming back and move on. We have a lot of shit to focus on anyway."

The others remained silent, not exactly knowing what to say. He shook his head, standing up from his seat next to Weiss. "I'm gonna go meet with Sienna. She wanted to see me off."

"I'll come with you. We traveled with her for a long time so it would be wrong to leave without a proper goodbye."

"Mr. Athan, Miss Schnee, could you do me a quick favor? I wish to procure something before we depart. I'd like for you to take care of the Relic for me. Just until we board the train. Will that be acceptable?" the voice of Ozpin said, causing the two to nod. He unhooked the lamp from his belt, handing it to Levi. "Thank you."

"Sure thing, Professor. But uh… what exactly are you getting that you don't trust yourself with the lamp?"

The old wizard dodged the question, grabbing a hold of his cane. "I will return soon, contact me when the train begins boarding."

"Would you like some company?"

"I'm afraid not, Miss Blaze. Do not fret, Oscar will return soon, I'm sure he was enjoying that ravishing conversation of your first time chopping turmeric." the professor said with a wink, taking his leave. Alto flushed a deep crimson, burying her face in her hands, while Yang teased her. Levi rolled his eyes, gesturing for Weiss to follow.

"I'm glad we get a bit of time to ourselves. I wanted to talk to you about something," Weiss said, making Levi look at her, a curious gaze upon his face. "What are your plans for a team? Certainly, you don't think you can recruit Alto into yours. You'll be a third-year while she's starting out. Neo isn't coming, so you'll be on your own."

"I've thought about it. I know that Atlas Academy is like the others, wherein four-person teams are created. But I don't exactly have a choice. I suppose I'll have to join another team. Either that or ask if I can remain a solo trainee." he said, frowning.

"What about contacting Sonata? She awoke from her coma long before I left Atlas for Mistral. I'm sure she'd love to rejoin your team."

"No… Team ACPL is dead, Weiss. We can't be a team with just two people, besides, I'm sure Sonata hates me for what happened. Honestly, I don't have what it takes to face her again. That's going to be my greatest challenge in Atlas. But hey, I'm a faunus, if anyone can avoid a person, it's definitely me, hehe."

Weiss didn't say anything, feeling rather sad for her friend. She had been with him long enough to understand his ticks. Whenever he spoke like this, it meant he was thinking a million things about the situation, including everything that happened during the Fall. He was moving on, but it was taking its toll on him. She took a hold of his hand, giving it a soft reassuring squeeze.

"It'll be fine. We'll speak with General Ironwood about our options. It's likely we'll finish our training there as well. Perhaps we can persuade him to let you join Team RWBY. It's better to train with friends than all by your lonesome. Besides, you've practically earned it."

He wrapped his arms around the girl, giving her a tight hug. It had been a long time since he had felt this feeling, acceptance. After such a long time of feeling alone, he was glad he had someone like her by his side. "Thank you, Weiss. I really appreciate it."

The white-haired girl flushed but gave him a nod. "As well you should! You should always be grateful to your friends, Levi. Never forget it."

"So, you two are finally getting together, nice! I had my hopes on the two of you admitting your feelings!" a familiar voice said, causing the teenagers to back away from each other.

"It isn't like that, Auntie!" he cried, glaring at Sienna. The tigress rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.

"Sure it isn't."

"Oh wow, you got a prosthetic! That's wonderful, Sienna! It certainly suits you!" Weiss said, looking the mechanical arm over. It was the same model as Yang's, though this one was made specifically to replace Sienna's missing forearm, wrist, and hand. It was painted to match her skin tone, and even had black stripes on it. "I'm so happy for you."

"I appreciate the sentiments, Weiss. It's been a rough two weeks, but I've been cleared of any wrongdoing from the White Fang. Of course, I am facing a few charges here and there due to crimes committed while I was high leader. But thanks to Ghira Belladonna and the fact that I helped end the White Fang, the Mistral Council has practically assured my freedom. It's conditional, though. I have to do six months of community service and agree to leave Mistral." she said, ears flat against her head. "This is the only home I've known, but if it keeps me out of jail, I'm willing to go somewhere else."

"How about Atlas? That's where we're headed now!"

"I considered it, Levi, but you know how the people of Atlas and Mantle treat the faunus. Imagine how well received I would be if I set foot in Atlas. I did lead several attacks against the Schnee Dust Company. My name in Mistral may be clear but there's nothing stopping Jacques Schnee from cutting my head off."

"Yes, there is!" Levi said, wrapping his arm around Weiss's waist, pulling her close. "Her name is Weiss Schnee, and she'll do whatever it takes to keep her friends safe!"

"Stop messing around, Levi," she said, pulling herself out of his grasp. "I'm afraid to say it, but without me being the heiress to the SDC, there's nothing I can do. My father would likely attack her and have her arrested on sight."

Levi deflated a bit, a frown on his face. Sienna gave him a pat on the head, making him look up at her. "Don't sweat it. Your aunt will be fine, Menagerie is nice this time of year. How about we make a deal? Once the two of you and your teams earn your licenses, we'll meet up in Rub' al Khali for a hearty drink!"

"Rub al what?" Weiss asked, a confused look on her face. Levi did a quick search on the CCT, showing the former heiress the map.

"It's a village located in Vacuo, about fourteen miles from the Kingdom Capital. Me and Aria passed through it when we went on a mission to Feldspar a year ago. It's one of the nicest places too, it was built in the center of this freshwater lake. It's said the city rivals even Lady Lake in southern Vale."

"I assure you, it does. It's my home town, so you best come prepared for the desert. Some cute desert clothes will do you good, Weiss. I'm sure you have a nice body, you'll captivate a lot of young men if you walk around the desert." Sienna said with a wink.

"Yeah no, I don't think so. There is only one man I wish to captivate and I will be doing it elsewhere," she said, crossing her arms. Levi frowned, thinking back on Neptune and how happy she got when she spoke of him.

"Aw, and here I thought I would get to enjoy seeing your Schnee-themed desert outfit. Such a shame."

"Quiet, you ass. The fact that you get to see me in any outfit is a privilege!"

"So you'd rather I saw you naked?"

"Wha? That is not what I meant!"

"Sure sounded like it," he returned, sticking his tongue out at her.

"Hmm… So is that lamp the Relic of Knowledge?" the tigress asked, causing Levi to subconsciously pat the relic at his hip. He nodded, feeling a sense of calm through his arm, just from that single touch. "It looks kind of tiny."

"It's in its travel mode. This lamp holds a lot of power, and we're tasked with escorting it to Atlas. Let's hope it's in safe hands once it gets there." he said firmly.

"I assure you, Levi, it will."

"How does it work? It answers three questions right?" Sienna asked, causing the two teenagers to nod.

"Professor Ozpin told us the questions were already used up, so it's just a paperweight at the moment. Though I do wonder how it works. I suppose we'll have to ask him next time we can."

"Attention Passengers, the Argus Limited will begin boarding in five minutes. Those who will be boarding, make sure you have all your belongings checked out and tickets on hand. Thank you!"

"Whelp, that's our train," Levi said, giving Sienna a bittersweet smile. He wrapped his arms around her, giving her a tight hug. "You might not be my real aunt, but I felt like you were a part of my real family. Even if it started as a lie, it made me happy."

"I did take care of you as a child before I became high-leader. That makes me some sort of relative, I think. It doesn't matter. I think you've earned the right to be called my nephew. Even if I'm still in my early 30s." She said jokingly, hugging the young man back.

"You don't look a day over twenty, Sienna. Seriously, you are insanely gorgeous, and I am happy to call you a close friend. Though if you'd like, I could be your niece too." Weiss said, earning a giggle from the woman.

"Weiss Schnee, the niece of Sienna Khan, former White Fang high-leader, I quite like the sound of that. Consider it done," she said, giving Weiss a hug. The two shared another wave, before heading back to the platform.

"Welcome back guys! Is everything alright?" Ruby asked curiously.

"Yes ma'am. Sienna just wanted to see us off, she said she'll be home free in six months. She invited us to Rub' al Khali for celebratory drinks. After we get licensed of course."

"I've never been to Vacuo, sounds like fun!" Jaune said cheerfully.

"Well look at what we have here, a group of travelers! Are you all looking forward to boarding the Argus Limited?" a man said, approaching the group. He was holding a mace-like weapon, with various spikes on it. Next to him stood another man, holding a very fancy-looking repeater rifle.

"Aaand you are?" Nora asked, a look of disinterest on her face.

"Why, Dee and Dudley, of course!" the man now known as Dee, replied, a look of pride on his face. "We're the Argus Limited's very own Huntsmen! We'll be keeping everyone safe as we pass through Grimm Territory."

"But for a generous tip, we can make sure your passenger car gets extra special attention, should things get dangerous," Dudley said, a hopeful look on his face. Levi crossed his arms, glaring at the two older men.

"Sounds like a waste of money to me."

"You won't be saying that when the Grimm attack, rip through the walls of your train car and then carry you away where you'll be torn apart and eaten. Then while you scream in pain and the Grimm tears your soft flesh off your bones, you'll be thinking 'man, I really wish I had asked for extra protection." Dee said.

"You know, asshole, my partner was killed by a Grimm in Beacon Academy, she was carted away by a Nevermore and eaten alive. I don't fucking appreciate that type of joke, and I don't appreciate you using your license as a means to make money from tips."

"Hey, we're honest workers here. Is it wrong for us to ask for a tip?" Dudley queried.

"Here's a tip for ya," Qrow grumbled, as he approached the group, a look of annoyance on his face. "Buzz off. Man, Mistral is really scraping the bottom of the barrel these days."

"You think they're scraping a barrel? Sounds like the bottom of a dumpster to me." Alto added, not at all amused with the two 'huntsmen'. Dee glared at the young faunus, looking directly into her eyes.

"Who do you think you are talking to, Wolfie? Don't you know what you're talking to-"

"-A professional huntsman, right," Qrow said, holding his Beacon Academy license out to the two men, who swallowed the growing lump in their throats. "Just so you know, one of you professional heroes left the staff entrance to the caboose wide open."

Dee and Dudley turned around, spotting the open door, both cringing. They turned back around, not seeing the woman that entered through said entrance, disappearing deep into the train. "It'd be a real shame to lose your job before it even started." Qrow continued, taking a drink from his flask.

"Hey, don't look at me, Dee, I didn't do it."

"Come on, dumbass," Dee said, shaking his head, grumbling under his breath as the two walked away. As they did, they passed by Oscar, who had been returning from his purchases, a few bags hooked around his arm. He had managed to hear most of that, causing Ozpin to chuckle inside his mind.

"I hope those two weren't Beacon Graduates," he said, causing Oscar to roll his eyes.

"You know sometimes the burden of saving the world feels overwhelming." he turned to face the others, holding back a laugh. "But then people like that come along and make me grateful that it's our jobs and not theirs."

"Yep,"

"Totally,"

"You aren't wrong,"

"Agreed."

The group shared a laugh, with Qrow rolling his eyes at their antics. He looked down at his Nieces, putting his flask away. "So, you got everything? Bike's all loaded up?"

"Yes sir, we're waiting for the Kitty-cat. She was saying her goodbyes to her folks and her friends." Yang said, just as Blake appeared behind them, tightening her backpack straps.

"Sorry, sorry. I got caught up talking with Sun, Neptune, and Ilia," she said, flushing in embarrassment. "Are we all set to go?"

"That depends, did you pee or did you spend all your time talking to that handsome monkey faunus?" Alto asked, winking at the older girl.

"Yes, I did pee, no I spoke with my friend Ilia too. Can we just go? I'm starting to get a little anxious." the ravenette said, failing to hide the flush on her cheeks. The others gathered their things, following the line of people slowly, but surely, boarding the large train. Levi hung around the back, looking around the platform for a moment, a frown on his face.

"Something the matter kiddo?" Qrow asked, causing the miqo'te to sigh, shaking his head.

"I was holding out for a moment, thinking she would show up. I'm not gonna obligate her, though. Let's get on. We have a long journey ahead of us." he said, patting the relic of knowledge as he entered the train. Neither of them noticed the train conductor who was standing behind them, nor the devilish look she sported on her face.


A/N: Welcome one and all to the events of Volume 6. This part of the Mistral Arc was so much fun to write. Honestly, All of Volume 6, sans the shitty ending and the giant mech fight, was fantastic. Sure it dragged on, and we got a massive info dump of an episode, but Brunswick Farms was so good and the Apathy were great. I hope I did this part of the story justice, since I put a lot of time into it. I don't have much to say, I hope you all like this chapter. It is blazing fucking hot where I am and it is not fun. Make sure to drink a lot of water, stay safe and most of all, if you get hungry, snap into a slim jim.